NEWS

20 Feb, 2014

ES Courtesy Call to the Kingdom of Swaziland

MEDIA RELEASE

The Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax paid a courtesy call to the kingdom of Swaziland on 12th to 13th February 2014. During her visit, she met His Majesty King Mswati III, His Excellency Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini, the Right Honourable Prime Minister, and Honourable Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Meeting at Lositha Royal Palace, on Thursday, 13th February, 2014, His Majesty King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Swaziland and the SADC Executive Secretary Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax have underscored the importance of leveraging the political milestones achieved by SADC over the years, and thus the peace and political stability in the region by fostering economic integration and development in the region. They further acknowledged the need for forging SADC common positions in regional and international fora, and as such, SADC region to actively engage and position itself in the AU AGENDA 2063, encapsulated in the African Union Vision 2063 for "An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in global arena." The need to fast track the tripartite EAC-COMESA-SADC Free Trade Area was also emphasized, as a stepping stone towards the envisaged AU Grand Free Trade Area.

While acknowledging the political milestones achieved in Madagascar, they underscored that, it is important to ensure that efforts are made towards national reconciliation. They also called for international support to assist in the economic reconstruction of Madagascar. They furthermore hailed the progress made in the peace process in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The two leaders reaffirmed the need to expedite the implementation of the SADC Infrastructure Master Plan and the pivotal role that infrastructure will play in the economic development of the region.